News about shootings, kidnappings and muggings only a few steps outside of campus can make students nervous about walking by themselves. Luckily, Sub-Board I, Inc. Health Services established a safe alternative with the Anti-Rape Task Force.
Women volunteers started the ARTF over 25 years ago. It was later adapted into a Student Association group, and when the service started offering shuttles in the early '90s, it became a Sub-Board group.
ARTF is available on both North and South Campus. On North Campus, students can travel to the walk station located in Capen Library and request a team of escorts to walk them to their cars, to their dorms or to another building. The escorts are available Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
South Campus, however, has two options available to students. There is a walk station located at the Health Science Library, but there are also shuttles that run approximately every 20 minutes from the Health Science Library, Goodyear Loop and Main Street Loop. The shuttle runs Sunday through Wednesday 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Thursday through Saturday 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The shuttle will take students up to 1.5 miles off campus, while the walk escorts will only take students to places on campus.
'The service was started as women helping women, but it's grown to be much more than that,' said Jane Fischer, the Director of SBI Health Education. 'We kept the name to honor the tradition, but men both help run and use this group, so it goes much further past rape into general student protection and safety.'
Though UB is generally a secure campus, students are still encouraged to use ARTF as a safe alternative to walking alone at night, especially into areas outside of South Campus.
'I've used the shuttles many times, especially to go to frat parties,' said Nicole Stranges, a senior communication major. 'It's very useful and prevents students, especially girls, from walking around in an unsafe area.'
Stranges has also used the walking station at Capen. She stated that it made her feel safer walking to her car while escorted by an ARTF escort team.
If students know that they are going to be working late in the library or need a ride off-campus, they can call ahead to the SBI Health Services Office before 2 p.m. on weekdays to request a shuttle from a desired location on South Campus. Furthermore, students can go to a walk station and ask for a shuttle from the representatives.
ARTF tries to make the group well known throughout campus to keep as many students as safe as possible. According to Fischer, ARTF and SBI Health Education is promoted at events, through flyers and on their Web site.
'This group is valuable because it's important to us if we stop even one student from being harmed,' Fischer said. 'ARTF should be utilized by as many people as possible.'
According to the ARTF Web site, student staff is the heart of its programming. Most of the students that participate in ARTF are students themselves who feel that the task force is important to student safety.
Kayla Maryles, a senior communication major, worked for SBI Health Education and volunteered to drive the shuttle in her spare time.
'I enjoyed doing it; it was actually a lot of fun,' Maryles said. 'The students were very appreciative of not having to walk through the Heights in the dark, especially when they knew that there were a lot of violent incidents.'
Maryles also adds that she felt like she was helping the community by giving students rides.
'ARTF in general is such a good program because it's preventing violence and promoting safety on campus,' Maryles said.
Students wishing to volunteer with ARTF or looking for more information can contact the SBI Health Services office at 829-2584 or at their Web site, www.artf.buffalo.edu.
E-mail: spectrum-features@buffalo.edu
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